"Until the day breathes and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17). Israel in exile asks: how long? The kingdoms that rule over them are the shadows — empire after empire, each casting its own darkness. And God's answer, through the Song of Songs, is: until dawn breaks. Not "never." Not "you deserve this." Until dawn.
The rabbis trace Israel's question through the Psalms: "How long will I harbor counsel within my soul, agony in my heart all day?" (Psalm 13:3). This is not faithlessness. This is the honest prayer of a people who know they were promised a dawn and are still sitting in darkness. The psalm asks for a time limit. God gives one — but not a date. A condition: the moment of redemption is the moment the shadows lift, and the shadows lift when the light overcomes them.
Song of Songs runs through Aggadat Bereshit like a thread, repeatedly invoked for its image of two lovers separated and awaiting reunion. The rabbis read the Song as Israel's love song to God — exile is the separation, redemption is the beloved's return. "Until the day breathes" is not a passive waiting. It is an orientation — every day turned toward the dawn, every prayer another step toward morning. God promised the dawn. The question is whether Israel will still be facing east when it arrives.
Chapter 35: Prophets [1] "And King David was old and advanced in years" (1 Kings 1:1). It is said, "No man has power over the wind to restrain it" (Ecclesiastes 8:8), meaning that there is no one in the world who comes to die and says, 'I will close my mouth, and the spirit will not depart, or my ear or nostril will not breathe,' but he is unable to do so because he does not know from where the spirit comes out. Rather, when his time comes, it blossoms forth and departs from him. Therefore, it is said, "No man has power over the spirit to retain the spirit" (Ecclesiastes 8:8), but "and the dust returns to the earth as it was" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Rabbi Simon said, "Do not say so, but rather 'the spirit returns to God who gave it'" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Just as when it was given, it was pure, holy, and worthy, therefore it returns. And Abigail said to David, "But the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life" (1 Samuel 25:29), because David was a righteous man, and it was said of him, "What is this bundle of life?" As if to say, "The Lord God is the true God, the living God, and the everlasting King" (Jeremiah 10:10). "And the lives of your enemies He shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling" (1 Samuel 25:29), scattered in the four corners of the world, and then returns to the hollow of the sling, and the angels scatter it, and it returns again. These are the souls of the wicked. Therefore it is said, "And the lives of your enemies," and it concludes, "no man has power over the spirit to retain the spirit." There is no dominion on the day of death, even for a great man, king, or nobleman, when he dies, he does not die alone, but his glory is with him, as it is said, "For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his glory will not descend after him" (Psalm 49:18). As long as King David the righteous was alive, he was called king, and "Now King David was old and advanced in years" (1 Kings 1:1). And they called him "my lord the king" and wise and angelic, as the woman of Tekoa said to him, "My lord is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God" (2 Samuel 14:20). Similarly, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest said to Adonijah, "But our lord King David has made Solomon king" (1 Kings 1:43). And Bathsheba said, "May my lord King David live forever" (1 Kings 1:31), and Nathan the prophet said to him, "My lord the king, you have said Adonijah shall be king after me" (1 Kings 1:24). Thus, David had much honor, greatness, and splendor. However, when his time came to die, there is no mention of his being a king, lord, wise man, or angel. Only his name is mentioned, as it says, "David was old and advanced in years" (1 Chronicles 23:1). "David slept with his fathers" (1 Kings 2:10), and "David's days drew near to die" (1 Kings 2:1). Therefore, Solomon said, "There is no authority on the day of death. And there is no discharge in war" (Ecclesiastes 8:8), not like the kings of flesh and blood. Rabbi Aha said in the name of Rabbi Simon, "When the king asks the army commander to conscript troops, the commander comes to take the troops, and they give him much silver and gold, but he takes from them and does not send them, but sends others in their place. However, in death, there is no such thing, and there is no dispatch in war, and the wicked shall not escape their masters" (Ecclesiastes 8:8). "The one who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). And if you say, "But righteous people do many good deeds and still die," it is not true that wealth helps on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 11:4). And the one who does righteousness does not die, but lives forever. It does not say, "Wealth helps on the day of wrath," but "righteousness delivers from death," even though righteous people die in this world. However, in the future, they will live forever and ever, but the wicked will die in this world and the world to come, as it says, "The wicked shall not escape their masters," and "When they are judged, return them to Sheol" (Psalm 9:18). "But concerning the righteous it is said, 'And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.' (Malachi 3:17) David said before the Lord, 'Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.' (Psalm 71:9) When I was young, I went out to war and gave my life for your children, but now that I am old, I have no more strength, and they say, 'How long will this old man live?' As it is said, 'When will he die, and his name perish?' (Psalm 41:6) I ask of you, that even in my old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me.' (Psalm 71:18) The Lord answered him, 'So will I do unto thee, until thy old age, and until thy grey hairs, etc.' (Isaiah 46:4)" [2] Another thing: "And King David was old." As it is written: "The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes." (Proverbs 20:8) Come and see: When the wicked prosper in the world, evil comes upon the world. But when the righteous prosper in the world, everyone rejoices. When King David was reigning, everyone would say, "Long live the king!" The word "vehamelech" (and the king) is a word of joy. The phrase "Melech David" (King David) contains two words, "Melech" (king) and "David." When King Zedekiah was reigning, everyone would say, "And Zedekiah reigned" (Jeremiah 37:1). Concerning them, it is written, "Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." (Malachi 3:18)
